Chapter Thirty-One, Endless Days
Uhh... opps? I sorta... err... forgot about this story... not really, but... I don't know. It's been a while, and I apologize for it. I'm not too great at getting chapters up, am I? *grin* Guess what though? I'm gonna be published! In late November, I'm gonna have a book called Phoenix Ashes out... then you'll all learn my last name *grin* Anyone willing to buy a copy? I'm trying to get them spread out across the country (and Australia, apparently *grin*) so maybe people will get interested in it. Please? I really people to be able to read this one... and my publisher can only make so many copies unless those that were previously made are selling out. I'll post the link to Amazon.com here or whatever, when it comes out. I'm excited!! *grin*
Aimée
"DRACO!"
The moment I stepped foot into the foyer of Snape Mansion, I was immediately sandwiched between two eleven year old boys, one with red hair and the other with black, both giddy with excitement.
"Castor!" I grinned, ruffling the dark haired boy's hair. "Pollux! What are you two doing up so early?"
It had been almost three years since any member of the Snape family had heard a word from Harry. Since then, I had stepped in as Harry's temporary replacement to his younger siblings, counseling the twins and Drake on matters they would have otherwise taken to Harry. It was something that was necessary with the boys, as Professor Snape was routinely absent from the Mansion and on more than one occasion it was necessary for Mrs. Snape—Lily, as she now had me call her—to ask for my assistance on some of the more manly, touchier subjects.
All right, I'll admit… I was the one who informed the twins all about the birds and the bees.
Lily actually trusted a gay man to do the dirty work for her.
Shows you exactly how uncomfortable she was with the situation.
Before the twins had a chance to reply, the woman in question appeared at the top of the grand staircase, wrapped in a scarlet robe, her ginger hair mussed from the night before.
Apparently the Professor was home.
"Draco!" she exclaimed, much like her youngest sons had only moments before. "Good morning. Severus and I should be down in a few minutes—feel free to fix yourself breakfast."
I complied eagerly, making my way through the halls and into the dining room, where large platters of different breakfast foods lay on the table, looking more than exceptional that morning.
"Dig in," Castor grinned, grabbing his own plate and scooping up about a dozen pieces of bacon onto it. "Mum said we're going to need our strength at Hogwarts."
"You and Pollux do," I confirmed, munching on my own piece of fried pork. "I don't."
"Do too!" Pollux exclaimed, stuffing a piece of toast into his already crammed mouth. "Mum said even teachers need food every now and then. She said Dad lost a lot of weight when he was teaching at Hogwarts when you and Harry—"
He stopped abruptly, ceasing the fountain of crumbs spraying from his mouth. Harry, although loved more than he could ever know, was a taboo subject around both me and Lily. Unknown to the Snapes, however, was that I was in constant contact with him. Every minute of every hour of every day, he was in my head—his thoughts, his feelings, his fears, and his joys. While our mental telepathy couldn't reach across the ocean, I could still read his mind.
"Pollux!" Castor scolded, something he took every opportunity to do to his twin. As far as twin brothers went, he was the less intelligent of the two, something Pollux unknowingly rubbed his twin's nose in every day. Both were compassionate and more than a little sensitive to the other's feelings, but somehow that particular situation had flown under the radar.
"It's all right," I said quietly, my jubilant attitude deflating as I nibbled on a piece of toast and sat down at the end of long table. Castor and Pollux immediately noticed, and both wisely chose to remain silent until Lily and Severus made their way down into the kitchen.
"Morning, Cassy, morning Polly," Lily murmured as she helped herself to the array of breakfast items set out on the table.
"Sometimes I think you wanted us to be girls instead of boys," Pollux grumbled, his blue eyes betraying his foul tone of voice.
"And why is that?" Professor Snape—Severus, he had insisted, once he learned of Lily's insistence on what she wanted me to call her—asked, choosing not to eat anything.
"Because she calls us girl names," Castor clarified for his already informed father. I smiled secretively, remembering the first time the twins had complained about the pet names their mother had given them. Ever since that day, the first time they had heard Cassandra—the bitch—referred to as "Cassie", they had objected to their nicknames.
"Well, just think of the year ahead—a whole year—when I won't be able to call you that," Lily grinned, meeting both her sons' gazes in turn. She was a strong woman, one who was able to hide the scars from Ethan's death and Harry's departure when faced with her other six—or was it seven?—children. She had on more than one occasion confessed she still cried often about her two lost sons, much to her chagrin. The sting of Harry's sudden abandonment scarred much deeper than Ethan's death had, and although she held no resentment towards Harry for the murder of his half-brother, she blamed Ethan wholly for his actions—something Harry hadn't and probably would never know.
"Are you going to meet us at the train station, Draco?" Pollux asked me quietly, still feeling the guilt of daring to mention Harry's name.
"Yes," I promised, "as will your father, I'm sure."
"Will you, Dad?" Castor turned to his father excitedly. They hadn't much chance to spend with Severus during their childhood years, as the Snape family had been riddled with catastrophes and important activities diverting Severus' attention away from his—emotionally, if not biologically—two youngest sons.
"I will try," Severus responded carefully, glancing my way with his formidable black eyes. "I have a meeting with your soon to be Potions Master this afternoon, so I will try to meet you two at the platform. If not, your new"—he glanced my way once again, a small smile tugging across his features—"Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher will be there for you."
I had taken up the position after Headmistress McGonagall offered it in early August. Both the Headmistress and I knew I wouldn't last more than a few years, but I was willing to try. I didn't need the money—not at all—but I did need something to do during those long, endless days, something besides listen to Harry's every thought and try to depict what he was doing at that exact moment.
"You'll love Hogwarts," I assured the twins. "It's where I spent the best seven years of my life, and it's where you'll meet the people the rest of your life will revolve around. You'll love it," I repeated, "I promise."
Well I'm not feeling myself today
Just a figure in a big Monopoly game
Struggle is the price you pay
You get just enough just to give it away
I'm sinking while they're floating away
Just throw me a line so I can anchor my pain
The fabric is about to fray
Maybe you could take a look at yourself lately
Things keep coming and I keep wondering
And I start feeling the walls close in
Things keep coming and I keep stumbling
I start feeling strong enough to break
I've been running through my mind today
Somebody has to catch your hypocricy
No one ever takes the blame
But everyone is searching for a cure to the pain
Nothing ever seems to change
Oh, nothing ever seems to change
We just play like broken records in a deaf man's charade
Maybe you could take a look at yourself lately
Things keep coming and I keep wondering
And I start feeling the walls close in
Things keep coming and I keep stumbling
I start feeling strong enough to break*
*Strong Enough To Break, Hanson
---
Belle: Aww, thank you!! I'm glad you like this story so much. :o) Yeah, Harry is extremely self-centered in his own little martyred way. It's annoying, isn't it? *grin*
Bienfoy: What does your name mean? Good faith? I like it. Yeah, it was a short chapter... so is this one, actually, but o well. LOL, yeah, I don't think they could ACTUALLY have kids that way... so... err... yeah. :o)
Cat Samwise: Yeah, with any luck, ya'll will be happy with my ending. I don't quite know where I'm gonna end this story, but I do know how it ends, so... I think I'm gonna throw in one or two little twists, so... little ones though. Not big. Little. *grin*
coriander: Hey you, welcome back! Hmm... I'm betting if people tried enough, Harry'd die from AK. He's just been pretty damn lucky lately... which... uhh... I don't think I should have said. Anyway. Moving on. :o)
Eiknlng: Yeah, he's gone. Ah, well... there's still a few chapters left for me to write, don't worry. *grin*
Fire: I'm sorry! I'm only working on Save Yourself and this story right now though, and besides, you know how they all end, remember? *grin* Maybe not SY, cuz I added something in that's sort of important to the plot, but you know how this one ends. Everyone does... they just don't know how it gets there.
Jilly-chan: Draco IS a bit of Harry-worshipper, isn't he? Heh... ah, well. You liked LLOA, eh? It's a bitch to read... and more than a little intimidating at first, 'til you learn that the hundred chapters are short as hell. Yeah, FDTMA is sort of readable on it's own, just damn confusing without LLOA. *grin* Confusing with it as well, now that I think about it.. hmm...
Klee: Meanwhile, three years later... how many years have we covered so far? Six? Four more to go. Damn.
LightFaerie: *grin* Something like that. You'll see :o)
Sabrina: Wow, you read from 12 PM to 4 AM? You go girl! *grin* I'm glad you liked LLOA and FDTMA. I'm not a fan of LLOA, but I do get along with FDTMA all right. :o)
Shades: I can guarentee you it doesn't end sad. Haven't you read LLOA? That's more or less the ending, with a few small changes... for instance, Ethan's dead (obviously) in this and alive in LLOA.
The Satanic Fairy: Wow, thank you! I'm glad you liked it so much... you reread FDMTA? Holy shit, I even refuse to do that! I'll read maybe chapters or something, but besides that... *shakes head* You're amazing. Thanks :o)
Wyrd Sista187: LOL, you know about my novel now, so I'll just send you a copy or you can order it from Amazon if you want it. I'm *trying* to spread the word, but you know how it is... :o) Thanks!
Uhh... opps? I sorta... err... forgot about this story... not really, but... I don't know. It's been a while, and I apologize for it. I'm not too great at getting chapters up, am I? *grin* Guess what though? I'm gonna be published! In late November, I'm gonna have a book called Phoenix Ashes out... then you'll all learn my last name *grin* Anyone willing to buy a copy? I'm trying to get them spread out across the country (and Australia, apparently *grin*) so maybe people will get interested in it. Please? I really people to be able to read this one... and my publisher can only make so many copies unless those that were previously made are selling out. I'll post the link to Amazon.com here or whatever, when it comes out. I'm excited!! *grin*
Aimée
"DRACO!"
The moment I stepped foot into the foyer of Snape Mansion, I was immediately sandwiched between two eleven year old boys, one with red hair and the other with black, both giddy with excitement.
"Castor!" I grinned, ruffling the dark haired boy's hair. "Pollux! What are you two doing up so early?"
It had been almost three years since any member of the Snape family had heard a word from Harry. Since then, I had stepped in as Harry's temporary replacement to his younger siblings, counseling the twins and Drake on matters they would have otherwise taken to Harry. It was something that was necessary with the boys, as Professor Snape was routinely absent from the Mansion and on more than one occasion it was necessary for Mrs. Snape—Lily, as she now had me call her—to ask for my assistance on some of the more manly, touchier subjects.
All right, I'll admit… I was the one who informed the twins all about the birds and the bees.
Lily actually trusted a gay man to do the dirty work for her.
Shows you exactly how uncomfortable she was with the situation.
Before the twins had a chance to reply, the woman in question appeared at the top of the grand staircase, wrapped in a scarlet robe, her ginger hair mussed from the night before.
Apparently the Professor was home.
"Draco!" she exclaimed, much like her youngest sons had only moments before. "Good morning. Severus and I should be down in a few minutes—feel free to fix yourself breakfast."
I complied eagerly, making my way through the halls and into the dining room, where large platters of different breakfast foods lay on the table, looking more than exceptional that morning.
"Dig in," Castor grinned, grabbing his own plate and scooping up about a dozen pieces of bacon onto it. "Mum said we're going to need our strength at Hogwarts."
"You and Pollux do," I confirmed, munching on my own piece of fried pork. "I don't."
"Do too!" Pollux exclaimed, stuffing a piece of toast into his already crammed mouth. "Mum said even teachers need food every now and then. She said Dad lost a lot of weight when he was teaching at Hogwarts when you and Harry—"
He stopped abruptly, ceasing the fountain of crumbs spraying from his mouth. Harry, although loved more than he could ever know, was a taboo subject around both me and Lily. Unknown to the Snapes, however, was that I was in constant contact with him. Every minute of every hour of every day, he was in my head—his thoughts, his feelings, his fears, and his joys. While our mental telepathy couldn't reach across the ocean, I could still read his mind.
"Pollux!" Castor scolded, something he took every opportunity to do to his twin. As far as twin brothers went, he was the less intelligent of the two, something Pollux unknowingly rubbed his twin's nose in every day. Both were compassionate and more than a little sensitive to the other's feelings, but somehow that particular situation had flown under the radar.
"It's all right," I said quietly, my jubilant attitude deflating as I nibbled on a piece of toast and sat down at the end of long table. Castor and Pollux immediately noticed, and both wisely chose to remain silent until Lily and Severus made their way down into the kitchen.
"Morning, Cassy, morning Polly," Lily murmured as she helped herself to the array of breakfast items set out on the table.
"Sometimes I think you wanted us to be girls instead of boys," Pollux grumbled, his blue eyes betraying his foul tone of voice.
"And why is that?" Professor Snape—Severus, he had insisted, once he learned of Lily's insistence on what she wanted me to call her—asked, choosing not to eat anything.
"Because she calls us girl names," Castor clarified for his already informed father. I smiled secretively, remembering the first time the twins had complained about the pet names their mother had given them. Ever since that day, the first time they had heard Cassandra—the bitch—referred to as "Cassie", they had objected to their nicknames.
"Well, just think of the year ahead—a whole year—when I won't be able to call you that," Lily grinned, meeting both her sons' gazes in turn. She was a strong woman, one who was able to hide the scars from Ethan's death and Harry's departure when faced with her other six—or was it seven?—children. She had on more than one occasion confessed she still cried often about her two lost sons, much to her chagrin. The sting of Harry's sudden abandonment scarred much deeper than Ethan's death had, and although she held no resentment towards Harry for the murder of his half-brother, she blamed Ethan wholly for his actions—something Harry hadn't and probably would never know.
"Are you going to meet us at the train station, Draco?" Pollux asked me quietly, still feeling the guilt of daring to mention Harry's name.
"Yes," I promised, "as will your father, I'm sure."
"Will you, Dad?" Castor turned to his father excitedly. They hadn't much chance to spend with Severus during their childhood years, as the Snape family had been riddled with catastrophes and important activities diverting Severus' attention away from his—emotionally, if not biologically—two youngest sons.
"I will try," Severus responded carefully, glancing my way with his formidable black eyes. "I have a meeting with your soon to be Potions Master this afternoon, so I will try to meet you two at the platform. If not, your new"—he glanced my way once again, a small smile tugging across his features—"Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher will be there for you."
I had taken up the position after Headmistress McGonagall offered it in early August. Both the Headmistress and I knew I wouldn't last more than a few years, but I was willing to try. I didn't need the money—not at all—but I did need something to do during those long, endless days, something besides listen to Harry's every thought and try to depict what he was doing at that exact moment.
"You'll love Hogwarts," I assured the twins. "It's where I spent the best seven years of my life, and it's where you'll meet the people the rest of your life will revolve around. You'll love it," I repeated, "I promise."
Well I'm not feeling myself today
Just a figure in a big Monopoly game
Struggle is the price you pay
You get just enough just to give it away
I'm sinking while they're floating away
Just throw me a line so I can anchor my pain
The fabric is about to fray
Maybe you could take a look at yourself lately
Things keep coming and I keep wondering
And I start feeling the walls close in
Things keep coming and I keep stumbling
I start feeling strong enough to break
I've been running through my mind today
Somebody has to catch your hypocricy
No one ever takes the blame
But everyone is searching for a cure to the pain
Nothing ever seems to change
Oh, nothing ever seems to change
We just play like broken records in a deaf man's charade
Maybe you could take a look at yourself lately
Things keep coming and I keep wondering
And I start feeling the walls close in
Things keep coming and I keep stumbling
I start feeling strong enough to break*
*Strong Enough To Break, Hanson
---
Belle: Aww, thank you!! I'm glad you like this story so much. :o) Yeah, Harry is extremely self-centered in his own little martyred way. It's annoying, isn't it? *grin*
Bienfoy: What does your name mean? Good faith? I like it. Yeah, it was a short chapter... so is this one, actually, but o well. LOL, yeah, I don't think they could ACTUALLY have kids that way... so... err... yeah. :o)
Cat Samwise: Yeah, with any luck, ya'll will be happy with my ending. I don't quite know where I'm gonna end this story, but I do know how it ends, so... I think I'm gonna throw in one or two little twists, so... little ones though. Not big. Little. *grin*
coriander: Hey you, welcome back! Hmm... I'm betting if people tried enough, Harry'd die from AK. He's just been pretty damn lucky lately... which... uhh... I don't think I should have said. Anyway. Moving on. :o)
Eiknlng: Yeah, he's gone. Ah, well... there's still a few chapters left for me to write, don't worry. *grin*
Fire: I'm sorry! I'm only working on Save Yourself and this story right now though, and besides, you know how they all end, remember? *grin* Maybe not SY, cuz I added something in that's sort of important to the plot, but you know how this one ends. Everyone does... they just don't know how it gets there.
Jilly-chan: Draco IS a bit of Harry-worshipper, isn't he? Heh... ah, well. You liked LLOA, eh? It's a bitch to read... and more than a little intimidating at first, 'til you learn that the hundred chapters are short as hell. Yeah, FDTMA is sort of readable on it's own, just damn confusing without LLOA. *grin* Confusing with it as well, now that I think about it.. hmm...
Klee: Meanwhile, three years later... how many years have we covered so far? Six? Four more to go. Damn.
LightFaerie: *grin* Something like that. You'll see :o)
Sabrina: Wow, you read from 12 PM to 4 AM? You go girl! *grin* I'm glad you liked LLOA and FDTMA. I'm not a fan of LLOA, but I do get along with FDTMA all right. :o)
Shades: I can guarentee you it doesn't end sad. Haven't you read LLOA? That's more or less the ending, with a few small changes... for instance, Ethan's dead (obviously) in this and alive in LLOA.
The Satanic Fairy: Wow, thank you! I'm glad you liked it so much... you reread FDMTA? Holy shit, I even refuse to do that! I'll read maybe chapters or something, but besides that... *shakes head* You're amazing. Thanks :o)
Wyrd Sista187: LOL, you know about my novel now, so I'll just send you a copy or you can order it from Amazon if you want it. I'm *trying* to spread the word, but you know how it is... :o) Thanks!